Welcome to the our first ever Blog Carnival! This carnival collects a fine set of links to movie-related blogging. If you’d like your movie-related blog-post to appear in the next carnival, click here to be taken to the submission page at Blogcarnival.com. This is a going to be a regular feature on VLoveMovies.com, happening every two weeks. Well, without further ado, onto the carnival!

Movie Features

Interrogation practice was never the same after the budget cutbacks...

The story of the eagerly anticipated movie starring George Clooney, Jeff Bridges & Ewan McGregor (and directed by long-time Clooney collaborator Grant Heslov) may sound absurd, but it’s based on a true story. There were indeed men, and also goats, and some staring may have been involved.

Chris’s post presents videos of a documentary on the real-life men who stared (and some of their goats too). I can’t wait for this film, but in the mean-time I can watch the strange folk who inspired it.

emancave has not one, not two, but three posts you to peruse at e-ManCave.com. First, 15 Great Movie Posters for a Mancave. Next, The 10 Sexy Movie Posters for the Mancave. These two go together, presenting several great posters for movies that would certainly make any ‘man cave’ a pleasure to dwell in. I’ve been looking for some posters for my own man cave (well, from the state of it it’s more of a man sty right now…) and I’d certainly consider some of these.

emancave’s third post this week is Avatar 3-D movie coming out in 2009, a preview of what is probably the most anticipated movie of the decade (this and even the next, maybe!). James Cameron’s epic will be with us soon, but until then you can hit the link and watch the gorgeous trailer.

Movie Reviews

Well, it’s a short and sweet review, going over the highlights. By now you probably know if you’re a Michael Moore fan or not, so you probably know whether or not you’re going to go see his latest film. But Emily’s post does present a nice video of a classic Al Jolson song with plenty of striking pictures of the Great Depression.

Eric Gargiulo presents The Final Curtain Call: A Movie Review Of “This Is It” posted at CamelClutchBlog.com, saying, “Despite all the rumors, lies, and controversy over Michael Jackson and his passing, “This Is It” is a fantastic showcase of the man’s pure talent. Walking into the theatre, I noticed the wide variety of ages: from grandparents, to parents, to young children, to teenagers and twenty-somethings, the audience was a motley crew. However, we were all there for one thing: to honor Michael Jackson.”

I couldn’t have said it any better. Hit the link for the full review (and a trailer), MJ fans!

I’ll be honest and say that while I’m generally up-to-date with at least what movies are out, I’d never heard of this one. But that is exactly why this carnival was started: to help me (and you!) find out about movies we’d never heard of.

No Greater Love won’t be having a traditional theatrical release, but it will be screened in churches. It’s a ‘ministry’ film as the site points out, with a faith-centric audience in mind. It’s not quite the latest action-packed Hollywood blockbuster with a million things blowing up, nor is it a strange indie darling (though even those have things blowing up in them these days), but it may just be the kind of movie you’ve been looking for.

Spooky open door is spooky.

Switching things to the opposite end of the spectrum, Lucynda Riley presents two reviews of recent horror/thrillers at Living In Fear.

First, that movie everyone’s been talking — or screaming — about, Paranormal Activity. It’s the new Blair Witch, they say. Or even the new Cloverfield. Whatever it is, it seems to scare the pants off people.

Lucynda’s second review is of The Last House on the Left. I’m not a horror movie fan at all, but even I’ve heard of the it. Lucynda’s review doesn’t make it clear whether she’s watching the original or the recently-released remake, but regardless, she touches on a few interesting points on how people in horror movies react to their situations.

"...so because of the dye the thief will literally be caught red-handed!"

Another movie I had not heard of until this link came in, and I’m kicking myself for not knowing it existed before. An Education features (among others) Alfred Molina, Peter Sarsgaard, Emma Thompson, Olivia Williams — phew! That’s quite a cast, and the film looks quite lovely in its period ambience.

Set in that same post-WW2, pre-Beatles world that we love so much in the show Mad Men, An Education just shot up my list of films I’m looking forward to seeing.

Wrapping up

That concludes this first edition of the Movie Lover’s Carnival! I hope you enjoyed the links! If you participated in this carnival, I’d certainly appreciate a link back to this site or carnival entry page on your blog.